


Oblivion

by royalwilds



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-29
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-24 17:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22021588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/royalwilds/pseuds/royalwilds
Summary: Based off a prompt on the tumblr Dragon Age Prompt Exchange: The Bull throws his back out doing something mundane and starts to have concerns that he isn't what he used to be.
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Iron Bull, Inquisitor/Iron Bull, Iron Bull/Female Lavellan, Iron Bull/Lavellan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 41





	Oblivion

**Author's Note:**

> We're just gonna pretend that they have hot water bottles in Thedas.

The sun had risen not long ago and Aislin had begrudgingly pulled herself from Bull’s warm embrace and started getting ready for the day. She had been in the hallway outside her room grabbing the teapot the servants always left for her in the morning when she heard Bull’s shout of pain. Fear coursed through her veins at the thought of him getting hurt, she ran up the stairs, splashing a bit of the hot tea onto her hand as she did.

Confusion covered her face when she spotted Bull sitting on the edge of their bed hunched over towards his feet, ankle brace laying on the ground.

“What happened?” she asked setting down the teapot on the table by the couch. 

“I think I threw my back out.” He said in a pained tone. She walked to his side, resting her hand gently against his arm. 

“Can you move?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” He grunted.

“Try and lay down.” She moved to pile the pillows on one side of the bed so he could lay against them. He groaned as he moved back across the bed. She tried to help him as much as she could. She pulled off his boots and put them away, picking up his ankle brace and putting it in the drawer in the bedside table.

“You had me scared there for a moment.” She teased as she fluffed the pillows he was laying on, her hand moving to cup his cheek.

“Sorry, Kadan.” He said looking up at her with a soft look in his eyes that she loved so much. 

“Do you want hot or cold for your back?” she asked.

“I can go get it myself-” he protested.

“Now that is the funniest joke I’ve heard in a while, love.” She almost snorted. “Hot or cold, the quicker you reply the quicker you get some relief.”

“Hot.” He said in defeat.

“Right away, Ser.” She said turning on her heel. 

It wasn’t hard to find help, she was able to find Stitches quickly. Him and the the rest of the chargers were eating breakfast. She was sure that Bull wouldn’t want people to know about this incident so his Chargers were the best bet. She pulled Stitches aside and explained the situation, demanding that he not speak a word of this to anyone for Bull’s sake. She asked him to bring a hot water bottle to her chambers, leaving it on the table outside the entrance. He offered a balm that would relive pain as well. 

While Stitches prepared that she made her way to the kitchen getting a tray of food that was bound to put a smile on anyone's face, eggs, bacon, potatoes, fresh bread with butter and jam. She brought the tray of food up to her room bringing it in setting it on the table beside the bed. She returned to the door to get what Stitches had left.

“I know that food looks amazing but it will be even better when you feel a bit better.” She said holding up the hot water bottle that had been wrapped in cloth. “Where does it hurt the most?” she asked.

“My lower back.” He answered. 

“Sit up for a moment, darling.” She said holding it up. He complied and she slide it under his back. “Perfect.” She said easing him back.

“That feels a lot better.” He sighed.

“I’m glad, you’ll feel better once you eat too.” She grabbed one of the plates of food and hopped onto the bed next to him, a fork in hand. She grabbed a bite of food on the utensil and held it up to him. It was something he had once done for her when she had been hurt, after she had been poisoned in Val Royeaux. If she hadn’t been with him she would have died, he had been able to recognize what was happening fast enough to get an antidote made. She thanked the creators for the fact she was with a former Ben-Hassrath who had an extensive knowledge of poisons. She had been so out of it when she woke up she could barely move her limbs. He had stayed at her side and fed her soup, he did anything she needed until she started to get better and even then he was such a mother hen.

“Kadan, you don’t have to do that. I can do it myself,” he said raising an arm up but against his will he let out a groan of pain. “I can feed myself.” He doubled down on his stubbornness. 

“Bull!” she said frustrated. “You are always taking care of me, even when I’m not hurt or sick and you do so much for everyone. For once, please let me take care of you. I want to take care of you, we’re partners, we look after each other. I’m not some princess who needs to be pampered but can’t return it.” She huffed after her little rant.

“I’m sorry, Kadan. I didn’t realize it upset you.” He said. She placed the plate down, taking his face in both her hands. She stared into his eyes.

“I love being taken care of by you, it makes me feel so loved, so cherished. I know that if I ever need anything that you are there for me and will do anything I need. I know I am always safe with you.” She explained. “I just want to give that back to you, I need you to know how much I love and cherish you and that I will do anything that you need. I want you to feel taken care of as much as you’ve made me feel.”

“Aislin,” he said his voice deep, she could tell that he was feeling overwhelmed by his emotions. “I love you so much, I don’t deserve you.” 

“You deserve the world, Bull. Now let me give it to you.” She said leaning close to him, pressing her lips against his. He returned the kiss, wanting to pull her in close but unable to. She pulled back. “Well I don’t have the world at the moment, just breakfast.” He let out a laugh at her.

“That’ll do Kadan.”

Aislin had fed them both breakfast before getting rid of the plates before she heated up more water for Bull’s hot water bottle. She went over and pulled it from behind him setting it aside.

“You need to take breaks from it but in between I have this balm that Stitches made for you.” She told him. 

“You went to Stitches?” he asked.

“I figured he knew you best, and I threatened him to keep it from everyone else.” She explained. 

“Oh, I love you.” He said with a smile. “The last thing I need is for Krem to start giving me a hard time about being an old man.”

“I’ll have to think of an alibi for you not being around all day,” she thought out loud.

“Oh, I can think of some excuses.” He teased. She laughed.

“Do you think you can turn over? I think this’ll help a lot.” She said holding up the jar. “I may have the arms of an archer but I can’t flip you over myself.” She joked.

“I don’t know I’ve seen you beat quite a lot of people at arm wrestling.” She laughed in reply. She helped him as much as she could to turn over so that he was laying on his stomach. She took care in climbing over him, straddling him in a way where she wouldn’t be making his pain any worse.

The balm had a minty scent and as she scooped it out and started rubbing it on she could feel it sinking into her skin with any icy tingle. She gently massaged it on his lower back, making sure she covered the area well. She also rubbed it into his sides and upper back and shoulders for good measure. He let out a moan of relief.

“Is it helping?” she asked. 

“A lot.” He sighed.

After she helped him onto his back again she replaced the heat on his back before hopping onto the bed and making her way into her usual place at his side, under his arm and her head pressed against his chest. She absentmindedly ran her hand across his stomach, this was a normal habit for her, fingers barely grazing the skin there back and forth.

“I think I’m losing it.” The words caught her off guard.

“What do you mean?” she asked pulling back a little to look up at him.

“First it was just more aches and pains than usual, then this. I can barely move and all of this just from trying to put my brace on?” He sounded upset, it was rare to hear this tone from him. He was always so playful and easy going. “Aislin, I’m not getting younger. You deserve someone who can take care of you not someone who’s gonna slow you down.” His tone broke her heart, he wouldn’t even look at her.

Aislin sat up, grasping his cheek turning him to look at her. Tears burned in her eyes.

“The Iron Bull don’t you ever say that again.” She started in a scolding tone. “I don’t want a younger man, I don’t want anyone else. I only want you. No one could ever come close to you, no one else could capture my heart the way that you have. If that means helping you put your brace on, or taking care of you when you’ve strained yourself I’d do it everyday for the rest of my life. Anything for you, Ma vhenan.” Her voice was soft now.

“Kadan,” He said breathlessly.

“Anything for you.” She repeated, pressing her forehead against his.

“Keep my company?” He asked.

“As long as you’ll have me.” She said pressing a kiss against his lips.


End file.
